Shadow Spartan
by Spartan 501
Summary: Leonid-144 is a SPARTAN-II stolen by Dr. Catherine Halsey. His antisocial and extra violent nature drew shadowy attention, and he was destined for a career as an assassin and a warrior. This is his story. Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

1200 Hours, September 19th, 2517 (Military Calendar)/

Zeta Aquarius Star System, Arizona 3, New Phoenix

The entire schoolyard of Educational Facility No. 191 was enclosed by a glass dome to keep the blistering heat out, and the children cool. A collection of six, seven, and eight year olds ran through the tall grass of the play field, or climbed on complex metal lattices, or skimmed grav-balls on repulsor courts. Dr. Catherine Halsey stepped into the two hundred square yard playground and felt the noise of laughter and yelling assault her ears. To her, it sounded like sweet music, full of an innocence that had long since been stolen from her.

Pausing to push several locks of her black hair out of her eyes, Halsey glanced down at her data pad and then scanned the playground for subject 144. For a moment she thought that perhaps he wasn't at school that particular day, that he might be home ill; she could not find him in any of the games that were going on, and she didn't know where he might have been. But moments before she was about to leave to come back later, she spotted him sitting beneath a large oak tree that had been grown inside the dome. There were no other children around him, and he seemed to interact with no one, instead chose to just sit beneath the tree and stare at something past Halsey.

Then, with a start, she realized he was looking at ''her''. Halsey stopped a yelp of surprise as she gazed into his ice blue eyes. Abruptly, she pulled her gaze away from him and stood slightly straighter. She turned to Keyes, who even after a month of wearing them, still didn't seem at ease in civilian clothes. She nodded to him, and he met her gaze, acknowledging her order. Halsey turned back around and, after confirming that no adults were within visual range, strode quickly across the playground to where number 144 sat watching her.

On the way over, Halsey noticed several things. One was that the other children avoided No. 144, and a few shot him disdainful or frightened looks. Another was that he had cuts and bruises all over his body—evidence enough that he had seen some fights. Halsey noticed that his gaze did not leave her for a second as she strode toward him and something in his eyes made her want to look away. It made her feel exposed…like he knew her darkest secrets—she mentally told herself to snap out of it, and remembering once more than he was only a six year old child, she increased her pace.

She neared him and let her eyes drift across his six year old body. He was nowhere near as tall as other candidates, such as No. 34, but he seemed quite lithe, and his muscles were oddly defined. His face seemed to be chiseled out of stone, and despite his young age appeared almost weathered. His brown hair was a dull bronze, but his eyes were a startling and magnificent icy blue, and Halsey knew they could easily analyze her.

"Hello." She said in as cheerful of a tone she could manage. "What's your name?"

No. 144 looked at her for a moment, as if wondering whether to respond, then finally answered.

"Leonid." He told her.

Halsey noted that No. 144's voice had a strong German accent; it gave him a strange air of command, and one of rudeness as well.

"Why aren't you playing with any of the others?" she asked cautiously, a bit at a loss of how to proceed.

"Why are you talking to me?" he asked back abruptly, catching Halsey off guard.

"I 'm…a social worker, I'm doing a survey of the play habits of children in the system."

He looked at her for a moment, and then spoke again. He sounded agitated, and the German accent was more pronounced.

"No your not." He said matter of factly.

"I am too." Snapped Halsey, perhaps a little to quickly.

"Then who's he?" he asked, and his eyes finally left hers and settled on Keyes.

"He's my assistant, he takes notes for me."

No. 144 shook his head.

"He's not. He's uncomfortable, out of place. He stands too straight. He's a space man, isn't he?"

Halsey was momentarily flustered. Few of the trainees had picked up on or even noticed Keyes's discomfort out of uniform. None had pressed the issue. She had to change the subject before she completely lost her composure.

"Do you like games, Leonid?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"No." He answered gruffly. It sounded more like a command than an answer.

"I do. Will you please play one with me?" Halsey tried not to sound pleading. It took tremendous effort.

No. 144 regarded Halsey for a moment. His blue eyes glittered with intelligence, and Halsey could tell he was busy analyzing her behind the icy orbs.

"Alright." He said finally.

"Wonderful. What kind of games do you like?"

He looked at her, and then spotted the thin metal disk imbetween her fingers. He snatched the quarter out of her hand lightning fast, startling Halsey for a moment. He held the finger up, sweeping his eyes over it's gleaming metal.

"What's this?" he asked, finally returning his gaze to Halsey.

"People on earth used this on money centuries ago, before we—"

"—colonized other worlds." He cut her off, and the handed her back the quarter.

"Are you lucky, Leonid?" Halsey asked, and he cocked his head quizzically at her.

"Luck?" he whispered.

"Yes, luck. I have a game for you Leonid, I'll toss the quarter in the air, and you tell me what it will land on when it hits the ground. The eagle or the man."

Leonid nodded quite suddenly. It seemed this child was intentionally trying to throw her off guard.

"Ready?" Halsey asked.

No. 144 nodded. Halsey flicked her wrist and the coin arced high into the air. Sunlight glittered off of it, until it slammed into the ground. Moments before it hit, standing straight up and looking at her, No. 144 said in a defiant voice: "Eagle."

Halsey looked down at the coin. Only the first candidate, No. 117 had successfully picked the eagle. Odd. She reached down and plucked the coin from the ground, then looked into his eyes. They seemed endless, and a slight feeling of vertigo passed over her looking at them. She offered it to him, but he shook his head. Halsey stood up, and walked away from the child. He was highly intelligent to be sure, but something about him…didn't feel write.

As she passed Keyes she realized she was shaking, something that hadn't happened since the first examination. Keyes fell into step behind her, not far behind. He seemed a bit shaky as well.

"Did he make it?" asked Keyes suddenly, and Halsey looked back at him.

"If he's as good as he makes himself out to be, then he made it before I ever asked his name." She replied.

No. 144 was much different from the other candidates, but something about him made her think that he would be among the best. Regardless, he fit the bill for the project. He was in.


	2. Chapter 2

2300 Hours, September 23, 2517 (Military Calendar)/

Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Military Complex,

planet Reach

Leonid-144 watched as the large double doors to the strange room swung open, and then marched forward at the urging of the big man behind him. Leonid couldn't remember much of what had happened; all he could decipher from the jumbled mess of swirling thoughts was being taken from his home by the big men in the black jumpsuits, and being rushed to this strange place. Leonid wondered what was going on, and was frustrated by his lack of knowledge of his own situation. He liked being in control of what was going on, and right now he was feeling positively helpless.

As he marched into the strange room, Leonid's eyes scanned it's contents. Slate gray risers were arrayed in a semi-circle around a podium, and two people stood atop the elevated stage in the center of the room. Leonid swept his eyes across the stern looking man who was standing with his arms cross, then across the other figure, one that he instantly recognized from days before. The lady who had talked to him at school stood with her hands clasped behind her back, watching the other children as the filed inside. Leonid stared at her, but she seemed to deliberately—perhaps unconsciously—keep her gaze from his.

The big man in the camouflage fatigues herded Leonid into a seat marked 144, and then sat down next to him. Leonid didn't look at the man, but kept his gaze of the lady, analyzing her. After several seconds, Leonid grew bored of watching her, and swept his gaze around the other children gathered in the room. They had dark circles under their eyes, and looked tired and confused. Leonid turned his gaze back to the lady, bored with them as well. Finally, the last of the children were seated, and the lady spoke into a microphone.

"As per Naval Code 45812, you are hereby conscripted into the UNSC special project, codenamed SPARTAN II."

Several children attempted to get u[ and leave, Leonid not among them. He was as confused as any of them, but he had learned that you were better off not to show you disadvantages, especially among grown-ups. The men in camo clothing beside every child pushed those that attempted to stand up with firm hands, and allowed no one to rise. The lady looked stricken for a moment, lost in thought, and then took a single step forward. She cleared her throat, and then spoke once again.

"You have been called upon to serve," she said in a clear, warm voice. "You will be trained...you will become the best we can make you."

She stopped for just a moment, as to put a sense of drama in her next sentence.

"You will be the protectors of Earth and all her colonies."

Leonid instantly realized what she was talking about, and abruptly sat up straighter. No longer confused, he was now interested, and he listened with gripped attention to her next words.

"This will be hard for you to understand," she continued, a hint of pity creeping into her voice. "But you cannot return to your parents."

A murmur swept through the gathered children, and they stirred. Leonid stood still, not particularly fazed, and kept his gaze on the lady. The big man beside him planted a strong hand on his shoulder, but Leonid didn't mind. Much.

"This place will become your home." she said. "Your fellow trainees will be your family now. The training will be difficult. There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead, but I know you will all make it."

The lady finished, but she still did not look at ease. Her face was grim, and she seemed much distracted.

"Rest now, we begin tomorrow."

The lady turned to the man beside her and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, whispered something back, and then bellowed: "Fall Out!"

The men in camo fatigues yanked the children up, and Leonid felt a slight pain in his arm. He was tempted to hit the man...but knew it would not be a fight he could win. The children filed back through the door, looking stunned and confused. Leonid wondered whether he did as well, but he didn't think so. He was happy; he knew what was going on now and therein was back in control. As he filed out of the room, Leonid glanced back again at the lady, and saw her whispering to the man and a hologram of a lady in a toga. He wondered at first what was being said, then wondered about what the future would hold. He was certain it would be much, much different.


	3. Chapter 3

0530 Hours, September 24, 2517 (Military Calendar)/

Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Military Complex

planet Reach

"Wake up!"

Leonid's dream of a cool summer rain evaporated with such abruptness that he gasped and sat straight up in the small cot. Leonid blinked his eyes, and the blurriness vanished from his vision. Leonid looked around the room, but his eyes had not yet adjusted to the sudden light; he had to keep blinking and squinting. Apparently, whoever had roused him from his sleep didn't want him to stay in one place. Something exploded on Leonid's back, and his breath left him. He gasped as he tried to breathe and jumped out of his bead screaming.

A man in a camouflage uniform much like the one from the night before towered over him, a silver baton held in his hand. Electricity ran up and down it's length; a stun baton, he dimly recalled from an old book he had read. Someone yelled something behind Leonid, and he swung around to face whoever was the source of the noise. The man from the night before stood next to the cot of a boy with brown hair and freckles, holding a baton of his own in one hand.

"I am Chief Petty Officer Mendez!" he shouted, "The rest of these men are your instructors. You will do exactly as we tell you at al times."

Mendez pointed to the far end of the building, and spoke again. "Showers are aft. You will all wash then return here to dress."

The instructor near Leonid opened up a trunk at the foot of Leonid's cot, and withdrew a pair of matching grey sweats. Stenciled on the shirt was _Leonid-144_.

"No slacking. On the double!" bellowed Mendez and Leonid sprinted for the showers. He stripped off his nightclothes quickly and strode onto a conveyor belt. Lukewarm water mixed with soap flowed over Leonid, momentarily leaving him comfortable...and then his comfort evaporated as the water turned to an icy cold spray that pelted his tiny body.

Leonid stepped off the conveyor, and sprinted to his bunk. He dressed quickly, faster than he had ever dressed. Everything seemed to fit him perfectly.

"Triple Time Trainees, _MARCH_!" cried Mendez, and Leonid scrambled onto a deserted strip of grass.

Leonid scanned his surroundings. Numerous concrete barracks surrounded the field, but no one else was in sight. In the distance, a staccato metallic crackling sound could be heard. Leonid looked up and squinted as a pair of fighter jets howled over the field, then rolled upwards and vanished into the still dark sky.

"You will make five equal length rows." said Mendez as he stepped onto the field, and Leonid stepped into a line.

As Mendez yelled some more, Leonid thought about what was happening. Last night he had been so sure that he was in control, and now everything had changed. Still, he had to admire Mendez's ability to get the children moving.

"Jumping Jacks!" shouted Mendez "Count off to one-hundred. Ready, GO!"

Leonid decided he was tired of being bossed around, and defiantly didn't jump. For a moment, he thought he had won the argument, then he saw one of the Instructors descend on him. The burly man swung the baton into Leonid's gut, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. Every part of his body seemed to be on fire, but he knew if he didn't move he would only get the baton once more. Leonid uncurled his body from the ball he hadn't realized it was in and began jumping.

Leonid did more jumping jacks than he had ever done in his life. Every muscle in his body burned, and his bones ached as he jumped up and down. Sweat trickled off of every part of his body, and he saw spots of black in his vision. Moments after the jumping jacks were done, Mendez ordered them to do sit ups.

A variety of physical exercises then followed, and Leonid collapsed twice, only to have to roll over and continue or else get the baton. By the time Mendez ordered leg lifts, he couldn't get up. He struggled to rise, but couldn't. He curled once more into a ball and waited for the baton, but it never came.

"Rest. Trainers, get the water." said Mendez, and the assorted instructors wheeled out carts of water bottles.

Leonid grabbed one with a sluggish hand and chugged it down in two huge gulps. It was salty, warm, and it was the best water he'd ever had. The sun slowly rose into the sky, and it's warmth washed over Leonid. It was an unwelcome addition; the cool morning air had been a blessing. Leonid didn't get up off of the ground, but rotated his head to scan the other children. Their clothing was soaked with sweat, and no one talked. Leonid had known before, but he now confirmed that no one from his old life was here. It was helpful to know for sure.

Leonid wondered what Mendez would do next. He had a vision of more exercises, until he finally died from shock. But Mendez was not that cruel. Well, maybe, in a different way.

"A good start trainees," Mendez called "Now, we run. On your feet!"

Leonid rolled into a sit, then stood up. His legs were shaky and felt like they were made of goo. The trainers herded the trainees onto a path, and they ran for a long time. Past barracks, beside a river, a even next to a VTOL aircraft base. Leonid thought of what was happening, and tried to figure out what was going on. Obviously, it was something the lady had thought of, and obviously, it was something secret. Now if only he could figure out what ''it'' was.

After a long time, they finally came to a halt in front of a marble building. The flag of the UNSC flew in the wind off to the right, and the words _Nava Officer Academy_ were printed at the top of the building. Pillars lined the front, reminding Leonid of ancient greek architecture that he had seen in some of his books. A woman in a toga stepped forward, but Leonid saw quickly that she wasn't real; a hologram, and therefore most likely an AI. She beckoned to them, and Leonid and the other bound up the marble stairs to where she stood.


End file.
